


musical oneshots

by pacmantattoo (holyquiznak)



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz, Falsettos - Lapine/Finn, Falsettos - Lapine/Finn (Broadway Cast) RPF
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, I’ll add more as I go along, M/M, boyf riends - Freeform, boyf riends fluff, falsettos angst, oneshots, some trans michael, whizvin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2020-10-18 15:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20641427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holyquiznak/pseuds/pacmantattoo
Summary: the title is pretty self explanatory. read the tags for more info. enjoy!





	1. we’re more excited than we should be / falsettos

**Author's Note:**

> tw: mention of death, death of a family member  
this is super angsty so good luck!

_ April 16th, 1986. Prom night. _

“Jason, you look amazing,” Trina tried to hold back her tears, but failed miserably. “Alright, say cheese!” Jason grinned and Trina snapped half a dozen pictures on her old battered camera. 

“Let me see!” Jason came over and Trina showed him the pictures. “That one’s my favorite.” He said, pointing at one where he had tossed up peace signs. 

“That one’s great, sweetie.” Trina went back to the first picture and felt a tug at her heart. She thought she was done crying, but it seemed she was wrong. “You look so much like Marvin in this one…” She trailed off, feeling her heartbeat speed up and her hands shake. Jason looked at the photo and nodded. 

“The last time you told me that was my Bar Mitzvah…” Jason’s voice cracked and he wiped at his eyes. “I miss them so much.” Jason didn’t even try to hold back his tears. He was tired of holding back his emotions; he had been doing it for much too long. “It’s so unfair. Why did they have to die? Why didn’t God save them?” Jason was sobbing now, and so was Trina. 

She set the camera down on the kitchen table. “I don’t know, sweetie.” She enveloped Jason in a hug. “I wish I could tell you, but I don’t know. All I know is that I miss them too. Not a day does by where I don’t think about them.”  T he two stood there, crying and embracing each other, until Mendel came home from work and found them. 

“Trina? Jason? What’s wrong?” Mendel asked, wrapping his arms around the two. 

“I m-miss my d-dads.” Jason choked out between sobs. “M-marvin and Whizzer.” He tore away from Trina and Mendel’s embrace and held his face in his hands. “Fuck, I miss them so much.”

Mendel didn’t have the heart to reprimand Jason for his bad language. The poor kid had been through so much, none of which he deserved. The world was unfair, and the cards Jason had been dealt sucked.

Jason had cried himself to sleep more times than he could count. Mendel and Trina heard him more often than not. They knew not to interrupt him, to allow him to let it all out and check on him in the morning. 

“Jason, I’m so sorry.” Mendel’s eyebrows were knit together, his lips downturned. “I wish I could take it away, all the pain, all the sorrow, everything.”

“No, I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.” Jason sniffled. “I-I think I want to stay home. If that’s okay with you guys? I don’t think I can go out tonight.”

“Of course that’s okay, sweetie. You can go to prom next year, or not at all if you don’t want to.” Trina hugged Jason again. “Everything will be alright.” She murmured to Jason, though it was mostly to herself. 

• • •

_May 23rd, 1991. College graduation. _

“Welcome, parents, families and friends, to the graduation of the New York University class of 1991.” The dean’s voice boomed over the low-quality speakers. Mendel and Trina fidgeted in their seats. Charlotte and Cordelia remained more composed, but on the inside they were nervous as well. 

_Why would they be nervous?_ You ask. _It_’_s just a graduation._ That, my friend, is where you’re wrong. This is no ordinary graduation. This is the graduation of Jason O’Brien, and there are only four people there for him in attendance. _What does that mean?_ You ask. Well, I’ll tell you. This means that there are two people, two  _very_ _important_ people, that are missing from the crowd. 

It’s been ten years since Jason’s Bar Mitzvah; ten years since Whizzer died. Nine years since Marvin died, not long after his lover did. Jason’s heart aches with longing. He didn’t think it would hurt this much to not have them there. Or maybe he knew, deep down, but he didn’t want to admit it because he knew that once he did, he wouldn’t be okay again. 

It was one thing for them not to show up to his high school graduation. He could pretend that they had something very important going on. But this time was different. He couldn’t deny it anymore. He had been in denial for so long; he had even told people that his mom, three dads, and god-moms would be there.

He knew that Marvin and Whizzer wouldn’t want him to be sad, that they would want him to walk up on that stage with his head held high and receive his diploma. So he did. He did it for them. He hoped that they were watching from wherever they were, heaven, hell, or somewhere in between. He hoped that they were proud of him. his college years had been some of the hardest ones ever, second only to the years leading up to his teen hood. 

After graduation was over, he hugged his mom and dad with unshed tears in his eyes. He wiped them away and let Trina take her photos. He would let her take all the photos she wanted, because he loved her, and he would do anything not to lose her too. 

• • •

_December 1st, 1995. Wedding day. _

Stephanie looked beautiful in her white dress. Jason had been itching to see her in it from the moment she brought it home. She had insisted that it was bad luck and proceeded to carefully tuck it away in her closet. 

The dress was form-fitting and had a neckline that dipped down low. Her veil was lined with lace and matched her dress perfectly. She looked elegant as she walked down the white-carpeted aisle.

Jason looked to the first row. There sat his amazing mother and father, and next to them, his god moms. His heart swelled at the sight of them, his wonderful family. His eyes drifted to the two seats that separated Trina and Mendel from Charlotte and Cordelia. On the first chair, there was a piece of paper that read, ‘Reserved in Loving Memory of Marvin O’Brien.’ The paper on the second chair read similarly, but with the name ‘Whizzer Brown.’ 

It was Trina’s idea, and Jason and Stephanie had accepted it wholeheartedly. It was only fitting that they be a part of the wedding too. Jason didn’t feel sadness when he saw their seats, but instead felt joy. Yes, Marvin and Whizzer were gone, and there was nothing he could do to change that. Maybe the time he had with Marvin hadn’t always been so great. But none of that mattered anymore. The bad memories had all been painted over by the good ones. 

He thought about how Marvin would pick him up from school and surprise him by taking him out for an ice cream cone. He remembered how Whizzer had taken him back to school shopping once, insisting that he get some new clothes, and _O _ _ Jason, this shirt would look so good on you. You  have  _ _to try it on. Come on, do it for me, please?_ Jason would always humor him. 

The minister went on about love, how it is pure and everlasting, how it will always prevail above all else, and he felt in his heart how true that was. Marvin had always loved Trina, just not in the way he wanted to. The love Marvin had with Whizzer was one of the truest, purest loves he had ever witnessed. And the way Mendel melted when Trina went out on date nights with him when Jason was younger. Not to mention how Charlotte and Cordelia would lovingly cuddle during their movie nights, like they couldn’t bear to part from each other for even a second. 

Despite how messed up his childhood was, Jason was always in the presence of love. He had learned early on that love, though not always easy, was undeniably worth it in the end. 

As his father had once said, _We _ _laugh__. We fumble. We take it day by day._ Jason looked at his now bride, Stephanie. _W_ _hat__ more could he say?_

• • •

_October 9th, 1999. The cemetery. _

In one hand, Jason held a bouquet of poppies. In the other, he held his wife’s hand, who held their son Marvin’s hand. Jason let go of Stephanie’s hand and took a step forward. He nestled the bouquet in between the two graves, then stepped back. 

“Daddy, why are you crying?” The little boy asked, not yet three. 

“One day you’ll understand, Marvin.” Jason picked up his son and held him in his arms. The little boy clutched his teddy bear, named after Whizzer, close to his chest. “One day I’ll tell you everything about your Grandpa Marvin, and you’ll understand why I named you after him.” 

The little boy did not respond, but yawned. It had been a long drive from their home in Long Island. Stephanie held Jason’s hand and squeezed it, because she understood. 

Four graves in a cemetery. Two unmarked, but ready and waiting. Jason hoped they’d never be filled. 


	2. best friend for hire / bmc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “do you think that you could use a new friend? cause i sure can” - best friend for hire by anthony amorim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this oneshot is loosely based on the song “best friend for hire” by anthony amorim. i 110% recommended his music.  
this oneshot is dedicated to all the lovely people in the mmbf gc <3 love all you weirdos

**michael**

“i couldn’t help but notice that you’re sitting alone.” i remarked as i sat down on a wooden bench. next to me sat a dark haired boy who i’d never seen before. “and it’s been like twenty minutes since you looked up from your phone.”

“what?” the boy looked up at me, confusion and a hint of fear in his eyes. “how would you know that?”

“dude, i’m just messing with you.” i chuckled in a sad attempt to lighten the mood. “so, uh, you new here?”

“yeah.” the boy frowned. “is it _that _obvious?”

“no,” i replied, “i’m just incredibly observant.” i flashed a smile, and the boy laughed. “the name’s michael.” i offered my hand. “what’s yours?”

“i’m jeremy.” the boy, _jeremy_ said, shaking my hand.  _shit, his hands are really soft. wait, why the fuck do i care that his hands are soft? act cool michael, chill._

“well, nice to meet you, jeremy.” i decided to look jeremy over.  _let’s see, brown hair, icy blue eyes, cat t-shirt, jeans, converse, pale skin, glasses, skinny. not bad._ my eyes trailed back up to his, and he looked away sharply.  _was he looking at me or something? probably not._ “so, are you new to new jersey or just middle borough?” 

“i’m new in every aspect.” jeremy looked back at me. “i moved here from florida with my dad a couple weeks ago.”

“wow, that’s crazy. why did you guys move?” 

“my dad got a new job. that, and he needed to get as far away from our old house as possible.” jeremy was silent for a moment before saying, “shit, i kinda overshared there. sorry, dude.”

“it’s all good, jer.” the new nickname falls off my tongue without a thought. “if it makes you feel any better, i totally just farted.” 

jeremy crinkled his nose as the smell hit him. a good ol’ silent but deadly. “michael, that’s gross!” he said before the two of us burst out laughing. 

when we had finally stopped clutching our sides from laughter, i said, “so, jeremy, do they have 7-eleven in florida?”

“not where i’m from.” he replied with a shrug. “we have love’s and quiktrip.” 

“oh. well, what about on vacation?” i asked. 

“nope.” jeremy shook his head. 

i gasped dramatically, clutching my heart. “do you mean to tell me that your life has never once been graced by stepping foot into the heaven-on-earth that is 7-eleven?” 

jeremy laughed. “no, i have not.”

“you do realize that i have to take you there, right? it would be a disgrace to the 7-eleven gods not to.”

“the  _7-eleven gods_?” jeremy scoffed playfully. 

“you heard me!” i shot back. “come on, jer. their slushees are to die for. i would know.”

“michael, i just met you.” jeremy laughed, and i felt my heart sink.  _of course he doesn’t want to hang out with me. i’m so stupid. why did i think that he would want to hang out with me just because he’s new? i thought i knew better than that. apparently not. _

“oh, right, duh. sorry.” i started to stand. “i guess i should go.” i turned to leave when jeremy stood up and grabbed my arm to stop me.

“that wasn’t a no.” he said. i felt my face heat up. he was still holding my arm. my skin burned through the hoodie fabric from his touch. he seemed to notice what he was doing and his cheeks turned pink. he quickly let go and took a step back. “i don’t have any friends here yet, so naturally i have nothing to do after school today. i’d love to hang out, if you want.”

“correction: you have _one_ friend,  _me_. and that would be great.” i smiled.  _had i really done it? had i really made a new friend?_ “you can come over and play video games after too, or i can just take you home.” 

“i love video games!” jeremy’s face lit up, and i could tell that the two of us would get along very well. jeremy opened his mouth to talk again when the warning bell rang. 

“shit, it’s almost time for class.” i stood up and grabbed my backpack. “do you need help finding your first class?”

jeremy hesitated, like he didn’t want to ask for help. finally, he sighed and said, “yeah, that would be great.”

• • •

**jeremy**

i didn’t bother telling michael that i already knew where all my classes were, that i had been there at orientation and had found all of my classes easily. he just looked so excited at the idea of helping me that i couldn’t say no. 

i know that people say this kind of thing all the time, but i seriously had never met anyone like michael before. florida was chock-full of homophobic, conservative white people. but new jersey was different, so different, in all the best ways. 

before michael walked up to me, i was convinced that i wouldn’t make any friends this year. i mean, it was junior year so everybody already knows each other. i thought i’d just be stuck as an outsider with only my macbook pro to comfort me.

but then michael walked up to me, and that changed. he seemed so nice, and so funny. i didn’t want to stop talking to him just yet, so i let him believe that i would be totally lost without his help. he seemed more than happy to show me around, and i was more than happy to let him. 

after school, we met in the cafeteria. “how’d class go?” he asked, headphones on. i had quickly learned that he rarely actually listened to music with them, he just liked how they felt on his head. 

“it was pretty good. this guy named rich is in there with me, and he’s pretty nuts.” i replied, thinking back to the dude with the red-streaked hair who had forgotten a pencil, and paper, and any sort of school supply.

“watch out for him, jer.” michael frowned. “he’s an asshole.” michael had this look in his eyes like he was thinking about something that he didn’t want to be thinking about. he opened his mouth like he was going to keep talking, but then he stopped himself. 

“uh, okay.” i nodded. “good to know.” we started to walk out of the school to find michael’s car in the parking lot. “anyone else to avoid?”

“well, there’s also jake dillinger, who’s rich’s best friend and just as crazy. there’s jenna rolan, the school gossip. she’s not mean or anything, but she definitely can’t keep secrets.” his eyebrows furrowed together after he said that, like maybe he had confided in her once before and she let him down.

“i’ll keep that in mind.” i fiddled with straps of my backpack.  _wouldn’t want the whole school to find out that i’m bi,_ i thought.

as we exited the school i felt something wet hit my forehead, and then my glasses. “looks like it’s starting to rain.” michael remarked, pulling up his hood. i hummed in agreement. 

all of a sudden, a devious smile sprouted on michael’s face. “race you to the car!” he shouted before sprinting across the parking lot.

“hey, no fair!” i yelled back, starting to run after him. we were both huffing and puffing by the time we reached his car, which i learned was a pt crusier. we got into the car and dropped our backpacks in the backseat. when we finally caught our breath, we both burst out laughing. i didn’t remember the last time i had laughed that much in one day, or  hell, in a month. 

michael reached over me to open the glovebox. he pulled out a bob marley cd and stuck it in the cd player.  _i didn’t think people used cd players anymore,_ i thought. “ever heard bob marley before?” michael asked, turning down the volume so we could hear each other. 

“maybe once or twice, but not a lot.” i replied. i wasn’t too into music, but i preferred it to dead silence. michael nodded but didn’t speak. he looked like he was deep in thought, with his eyebrows knitted together and a slight frown on his face.

“everything okay?” i asked after a moment. michael didn’t respond. then it hit me.  _michael doesn’t really want to hang out with me. he probably just feels bad for me since i’m new. i should have known. _

“huh? oh, yeah, everything’s great.” michael looked at me with a huge grin. i couldn’t help but smile back. this guy’s happiness was just contagious and i couldn’t deny that i loved it. 

he turned the music back up and jammed out all the way to 7-eleven. the song, i think it was called  _soul rebel_ or _soul adventurer_ or something like that, ended right as we pulled in.

“this parking spot is pretty much reserved for me.” michael quipped before he hopped out of the car. “because _that's_ how much i come here.”

i chuckled at that. “i can’t decide if that’s pathetic or awesome.” i got out of the car and followed him to the doors. 

“let’s go with awesome.” michael replied. he put his hand on the door handle and looked at me. “jeremy, are you ready to have your life forever changed by the amazingness that is 7-eleven?”

“bring it on!” i said, and he pushed open the door. a bell rang and a light-haired girl waved at us from the register. 

“micha, hey!” she said with a smile. her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and a few strands had fallen into her face. her ears were double-pierced and she had a nose ring as well. 

“hey toby!” michael greeted, walking up to the register. “toby, meet my new friend jeremy. jeremy, this is toby.”

“nice to meet you, toby.” i put my hand out, and she shook it firmly. 

“the pleasure is all mine, jeremy.” she paused, giving michael a funny look before continuing. “so, let me guess. you guys are here for some slushees.”

“jeremy’s _never_ been to 7-eleven, toby! i _had_ to bring him here.” michael gave her puppy dog eyes.

“alright, alright. in that case, i can definitely hook you guys up.” she walked out of the register and walked us to the slushee machines. 

“can’t we get our own drinks?” i asked michael in a low voice, not wanting toby to hear me. 

michael laughed. “well, _you_ can , but _i_ can’t let’s just say toby caught me with my mouth under the cherry slushee nozzle one too many times and now she has to chaperone me.”

“what the hell, michael?” i laughed along with him. i grabbed a cup and looked over the slushee options, which were blue raspberry, cherry, coca-cola, watermelon, and mango. 

toby filled a cup with cherry for michael and looked over at me. “you should try the blue raspberry,” she said, grabbing a lid and straw. “it’s my personal favorite.”

i nodded and decided to go for it, filling my cup and then following michael and toby to the register. “that’ll be $4.79.” toby said after she rang us up. 

“shit, i don’t have any money.” i frowned. 

“don’t sweat it, jer, it’s my treat.” michael handed toby a five dollar bill. “keep the change, tobes. buy yourself something nice.”

toby laughed. “you’re ridiculous.”

“love you too!” michael waved at her as we walked out the door. he sipped his slushee as he opened the door for me. i hesitated, but got in. nobody other than my dad had ever opened the door for me before.

“it was really nice of you to buy my slushee for me,” i thanked him shyly. “you didn’t have to do that. i can pay you back later.” 

“there’s no need for that, jeremy. it was no big deal.” michael smiled at me.  _this kid smiles a hell of a lot,_ i thought. he opened up his glovebox again. “you pick the music this time.” i found an elton john album and put it in the cd player. we were halfway through _rocketman_ when we pulled into michael’s driveway. 

after the song ended, we got out of the car. michael opened the back door and grabbed his backpack. “you can just leave yours in the car, if you want.” i nodded and followed him to the front door, which he unlocked and we walked into the house.

the first room i saw was a dining room with a round glass table and six chairs set up around it. there were various family photos and framed art pieces hanging on the walls, as well as some random ceramics that had probably been homemade. “mom, mama, i’m home!” michael called. “follow me.” he said, and led me through the hallway to a staircase. 

he opened the door to what i learned was the basement, where he spent the most of his time. he dropped his backpack on the floor and turned on the tv. 

“you have a ps4?” i gasped, totally in awe. “that’s awesome! i’ve been wanting one for so long.”

“it _is_ awesome , dude, but it’s _nothing _compared to the atari.” michael mused. “so, what game do you wanna play? we’ve got sally face, mario kart 8, detroit: become human, apocalypse of the damned-”

“you have apocalypse of the damned?” my eyes widened. “the best game in existence?”

michael smiled. “hell yeah, i do!” he turned on the tv and set the game up. he tossed me a remote and sat down on a red bean bag chair. 

surprisingly, i caught the remote. “good throw, micha.” 

“thanks, dude. my time in baseball did me _some_ good , i guess.” he went to the menu and i sat down next to him. 

“wait wait wait, _you_ played _baseball_?” i was incredulous.  _who would have thought that michael was athletic?_

“yeah, dude. my older brother nick was doing it and i wanted to be like him so i joined a team. i was pretty good at it, but i didn’t really like it, so i quit after a year.” i hummed in response. he clicked ‘new game’ and we chose our characters. i looked down at my controller. 

“wait, why am i player two?” i pouted. 

michael scoffed. “you haven’t proven yourself yet, jer. also, my console, my choice.” he smirked at me playfully. “i don’t think you’re player one material.”

i punched his arm. “what does _that_ mean? how does one become player one material?”

“it isn’t something you  _become_, jeremy.” michael rolled his eyes, starting level one. “it’s something you  _are. _player ones are  _born_,not  _made_.”

“looks like i’m shit out of luck, then.” i fake sighed, bashing the buttons on the controller. “look out, zombie at your 3 o’clock!” i shouted. 

“shit!” michael bashed the buttons furiously, killing a round of zombies. “thanks, player  _two_.” 

“shut up.” i smiled, despite myself. we had only gotten to level five by the time i had to leave. “my dad’ll want me home for dinner soon.” i told michael, and he frowned. 

“aw, okay dude. i’ll drive you home.” he shut off the tv and grabbed his keys. “do you want to meet my moms first?” his eyes were wide, and there was a hint of fear in them. 

i smiled and said, “yeah, i’d love that.” i squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, as if to say,  _i swear i’m not a homophobic asshole._ michael nodded, and led me upstairs to the kitchen.

a black haired woman with a pink apron stood in front of the stove, cooking some sort of stir fry. she turned around when she heard us come up the stairs. “ah, there you are michael!” he wrapped his arms around her. “maligayang pagdating sa bahay, pag-ibig.” she spoke into his ear in a foreign language that i didn’t recognize. 

the blonde haired woman sitting at the island stood up. “who’s your friend, micha?” 

“this is jeremy. he’s new to middle borough, and jersey.” michael introduced me to his moms. the one speaking what i later learned was filipino was named wendy mell, and the blonde woman was catrina mell. 

“it’s great to meet you, jeremy.” catrina smiled. 

“likewise.” i smiled back at her. usually i was awkward around adults, but wendy and catrina were easy to talk to. it felt like i had known them all my life. 

“kailangan nating umalis, ina. makita ka mamaya.” michael said to wendy and kissed her cheek. he waved to catrina and led me to the garage door. 

“maging ligtas, michael!” wendy called from the kitchen. 

“ako ay, paalam!” michael yelled over his shoulder. 

we listened to elton john in the car. i gave him direction to my house, which was only three blocks away. 

“thanks for driving me home, michael.” i said sheepishly. “i could have walked.”

“it’s no problem at all.” michael nodded his head to the music. “i didn’t want you to have to walk in the rain. also, i just want to see where you live.” he chuckled, and i chuckled too. 

we pulled up to my house. michael parked by the mailbox. “i’ll walk you to the door.”

he opened my door for me again and walked with me to the front door. i fished around in my jacket pockets for my key and unlocked the door. “i know i already said this, but i want to say it again: thank you, michael. for everything. today would have been awful if it weren’t for you.” i cut myself off, i had said enough. 

“you’re welcome, jer.” michael beamed, his smile stretched for miles. “we should definitely do this again sometime. i’m pretty much always free, and 7-eleven is open 24/7.” 

we both laughed, and i said, “see you tomorrow, michael.” before opening the door. 

“tomorrow.” michael repeated, voice low. he waved, walked back to his car and drove off. i waved from the door, then closed and locked it. 

i walked into the den and sat down on the couch next to my dad, who was watching a sitcom that was older than me. “who was that?” he asked. 

“just a friend.” i replied, a smile on my face.  _a friend._

• • •

**michael**

“sooooo…” mama dragged out the o. “your new friend is cute.” she winked.

“mama, come on, i just met him.” i blushed, even though i was trying hard not to. 

“your mama is right, michael.” mom said, pointing at me with her wooden spoon. “is he single?”

“what? i don’t know.” i shrugged. “probably.”

“i bet you could help him change that.” mama wiggled her eyebrows. 

“mama, oh my god.” i covered my face with my hands to hide my blush. “he’s just a friend.”

“suuuuure he is.” mom gave mama a knowing look. i swear they’re telepathic or something, but only for each other.

“i’m going down to the basement. see you at dinner.” i headed back downstairs.

“bye, lovebird!” mama called. 

“fuck you!” i laughed.

“language, michael!” mom reprimanded, but she was laughing too. when i got downstairs, i flopped on the couch and played bob marley on my headphones. that’s all i did. i definitely didn’t think about my new friend jeremy heere, or how cute and fluffy his hair is, or how the sound is laugh is more melodic than a choir of angels. i definitely didn’t think about how much i looked forward to seeing him the next day. definitely not. 

because jeremy heere was just a friend, and that’s all he would ever be.  _just a friend._

right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> filipino translations:  
\- maligayang pagdating sa bahay, pag-ibig = welcome home, love  
\- kailangan nating umalis, ina. makita ka mamaya = we gotta go, mom. see you later  
\- maging ligtas, michael = be safe, michael  
\- ako ay, paalam = i will, bye


	3. if crying was a contest / bmc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “of course! that’s what boyfriends are for.” michael smiled back at jeremy. it felt great to finally be able to call him his boyfriend, after so many years of desperate pining that were seemingly going nowhere. he never in a million years would have expected jeremy to like him back. he thought that jeremy would stay with christine forever, and that he would just have to attend the wedding as the best man with a fake smile plastered on his face, and cry into his pillow with a tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream by his side once he got home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me? publishing my work again? yep! i finally had some inspo to finish an old oneshot, and i thought i’d post it!  
the title is from prom dress by mxmtoon (which you should totally stream). this oneshot isn’t really based on the song, but there’s a part of the story that i felt fits this lyric, so i decided to go with it.  
michael is ftm trans in this one (on t, pre-op), and it’s more prevalent in the plot than i usually write it as, but i suppose i was feeling particularly angsty when i wrote this, so enjoy that. big trigger warning for gender dysphoria, specifically afab (because i actually know a bit about that personally -_-). anyway, enjoy!

“hey, jere?” michael’s voice was quiet, even though they were the only two in the room. he and jeremy had been cuddling for a couple minutes. before that, they were playing video games (which was code for making out, but don’t tell his moms). 

“yeah, micha?” jeremy turned his head towards michael (because he’s a little spoon, obviously) and looked into his eyes. god, he loved michael’s eyes. he could spend the rest of his life looking into michael’s eyes. 

michael cupped jeremy’s cheek in his hand and kissed him deeply. he pulled away for a moment. “i know we said that we weren’t going to go to prom, but-“ jeremy interrupted him with another kiss, hungry for more. michael pulled away again with a chuckle. “rude,” he giggled. “i’m trying to talk to you, jerk.”

jeremy smiled back at him. “you know you love it.” michael nodded. “anyway, you were saying how we aren’t going to prom?”

“right! about that…” michael paused for a moment. he and jeremy had only been dating for a few months, shortly after jeremy broke up with christine. he was worried that maybe it would be too soon for him. “you can say no, if you aren’t comfortable. i know you aren’t out to everybody yet, and it’s okay if it’s too soon or we’re going too fast, but i really really like you and i have for a while and i want to take you to prom, but only if you’re comfortable with it.” michael was rambling at this point, but he knew that jeremy understood what he was trying to say. 

jeremy blushed, but was silent. he examined michael’s beautiful, beautiful face. he had wanted this for so long. he wanted this moment to be perfect. michael’s heartbeat pounded in his ears. “forget it, jeremy. it was stupid.” 

“no no no, i just…” jeremy trailed off before kissing michael fiercely. he pushed michael’s mouth open with his tongue, begging for permission to enter. michael wasn’t going to go down without a fight, though, and the two fought for dominance. 

a little bit later, the two boys were laying on the bed,  panting and gazing into each other’s eyes.  jeremy’s hands were in michael’s hair, and michael was kissing up and down jeremy’s neck. 

“i’m sorry for making you think i didn’t want to go to prom with you. i really do, i swear. i just wanted the moment to be perfect and my brain was taking too long to come up with the perfect response. i panicked when you said to forget it, so my first thought was to kiss you.” 

michael detached himself from jeremy’s neck long enough to say, “that was a good call, jer,” 

jeremy chuckled. “glad you think so,” michael returned to his neck and soft moans escaped jeremy’s lips every few moments. “there’s just one thing, michael.” he tugged on michael’s hair, signaling him to look up at him. 

michael looked up at jeremy, but not without a sigh of frustration. “what is it, jer?”

“it’s just…” jeremy felt stupid saying this, but he thought michael should know about his two left feet. “i’m a horrible dancer. you were always the one to win dance dance revolution and just dance. i’m an awful dancer, and i don’t want to embarrass you at prom.” 

michael sat up, and jeremy followed suit. “that’s no problem at all, jer,” he grabbed jeremy’s hand and they got off of the bed. “i can teach you everything i know.”

“really?” jeremy replied, the butterflies in his heart fluttering. 

“of course! that’s what boyfriends are for.” michael smiled back at jeremy. it felt great to finally be able to call him his boyfriend, after so many years of desperate pining that were seemingly going nowhere. he never in a million years would have expected jeremy to like him back. he thought that jeremy would stay with christine forever, and that he would just have to attend the wedding as the best man with a fake smile plastered on his face, and cry into his pillow with a tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream by his side once he got home. 

he looked up some classical music on his phone and connected it to his speakers. “c’mere, jer. i’m gonna teach you the waltz.” jeremy looked so out of place, like he had never danced a day in his life. “put your hands like this.” he put one of jeremy’s hands on his shoulder and the other around his waist, and then mimicked the position himself. 

“first i’m going to teach you a simple box step, which is a super important element to the waltz.” 

“i knew you could dance, but i didn’t realize you were such a nerd about it.” jeremy chuckled. 

“shut up, jer. it’s my nerdy ass who’s saving you from embarrassing yourself at prom, right?” michael knew that he was right, and so did jeremy. jeremy hated being wrong, but he often was. the whole squip situation, among other times, had proven that. 

michael taught jeremy the box step, and jeremy stepped on michael’s feet multiple times during the process. eventually, they were able to get through a few full boxes without any injuries. they added in the rotation after that, and eventually they were waltzing. 

they were much closer now, arms around each other and bodies so close they were almost touching. the movement of the waltz had almost become automatic. “are you happy now?” michael asked, his voice a low whisper in jeremy’s ear. 

“what do you mean?” 

“now you won’t trip and fall on your ass at prom.” michael clarified, and jeremy chuckled. “you’re welcome.” 

jeremy moved his hands to michael’s face and held it before kissing michael tenderly. “i love you, michael.”

michael felt his breath catch. that was the last thing he thought jeremy would say. he thought that deep down he knew it was true all along. “i love you too, jeremy.” the words fell from his lips before he could even process the thought. a feeling of euphoria pulsed through his veins, because in that moment he knew. he knew that it was true: he was in love with jeremy heere. now that he had said it, he felt fulfilled, like this was what he was born to do, like he had completed some sort of prophecy that was older than legend itself. 

michael couldn’t wait for prom. 

—————

_ 2 weeks later... _

jeremy fiddled with his suit jacket nervously as he rang the doorbell. normally, he would walk right into michael’s house using his key, but this time he felt it was appropriate to ring the doorbell, seeing as it was prom night and he wanted to be a gentleman. 

one of michael’s moms, wendy, opened the door. “jeremy, you’re early!” she exclaimed, and yelled over her shoulder, “catrina, jeremy’s here!” 

michael’s other mom, catrina rushed to the doorway. “jeremy, hi!” she enveloped the boy in a tight hug, then examined his outfit. “wow, kid, you’ve really outdone yourself.”

“thank you, catrina.” jeremy smiled as his cheeks reddened. 

“well, come in, come in!” wendy closed the door and led jeremy to the den. 

“i never thought i’d see the day where jeremy wears something other than jeans a t-shirt,” catrina put a hand over her heart jokingly. “he’s growing up so fast.”

wendy took catrina’s hand and squeezes it. “he really is. you’re not a little kid anymore, jeremy. i can’t believe you’re almost done with your junior year!”

“me neither,” jeremy’s leg bounced in anxiety. “it’s been one crazy year. but all of it was worth it to be with michael.” he admitted, his cheeks even darker now. 

“we’re so happy that the two of you are finally together.” catrina told him. “michael has had a crush on you for years. we thought he’d never come clean.”

“it was actually me who told him how i felt,” jeremy said, shifting in his seat. where was michael? he wondered. as much as he loved talking to michael’s mom, he just really wanted to see him. 

“really?” wendy’s eyes widened. “that little shit lied to us. can’t say i’m surprised, though.” she laughed with a shrug, and catrina hit her playfully. “what? our son has absolutely no balls.”

“at least he’s not as bad as we were.” catrina chuckled, remembering how long it took her and wendy to get together. “we didn’t get together until college, and it took us getting drunk at a party for it to happen!”

jeremy laughed with michael’s moms, even though he had heard this story more times over the years than he could count. “if it’s alright with you two, i’m going to check on michael. see if he needs any help.” michael’s moms nodded and he headed down the stairs to the basement. 

bob marley was blasting from the speakers, as per usual. jeremy walked past the tv and their beanbag chairs, but didn’t see michael anywhere. “micha?” he called, but heard no response. he found the remote to the speakers and turned the volume way down. he walked into michael’s room, but he wasn’t in there either.

there was only one more place to check, the bathroom. as he neared the door, he heard the sound of soft sobbing. he didn’t bother knocking on the door before entering. there michael was, rolled up in a ball on the floor in his boxers and binder. 

“jeremy? fuck.” michael cursed between sobs. “i d-didn’t want you to s-see me like this.” 

jeremy didn’t say anything, just sat on the floor next to michael and wrapped his arms around him. they sat there like that for a while, with michael sobbing into jeremy’s shoulder. 

after a little while, the tears seemed to stop. michael sniffed and rubbed at his eyes, which were red from all the crying. “what’s wrong, michael?” jeremy asked softly before pressing a kiss to michael’s neck. 

“everything, jeremy.” michael looked into the other boy’s eyes, and jeremy’s heart hurt so much for him. “everyday i wake up and get ready and i have to put on my stupid binder because i  _had_ to be born with fucking  _tits_ and- _fuck_!” 

“michael, you are so valid. you are more of a man than anyone else i know. soon enough, you’ll be able to get top surgery. and hey, your two year t-versary is coming up. that’s huge.” 

“that’s t-true.” michael sniffed, wiping his nose. “i-i just feel so f-fucking stupid.”

jeremy furrowed his brows. “why’s that, micha?”

“well, you know... i just... ugh, it’s hard to explain, jeremy.” michael huffed in frustration as he struggled to explain how he felt. jeremy just nodded, patiently waiting. “it’s just that i never thought that i would  _make it_ this far.” another sob escaped michael’s throat, and the tears returned. “i never thought i would even _make it _to junior year. but here i am now, about to go to  _prom_ with my  _best friend_ in the entire  _world_, who just so  _happens_ to also be my  _boyfriend_.” michael smiled, shaking his head. “i don’t know what i did to deserve you, jeremy heere, but i would do it again as many times as i need to to make sure you never leave me again.” 

by now, jeremy was tearing up too. “fuck, michael. i love you so much.” jeremy squeezed michael into an even tighter hug than before, and in that moment, the two boys were closer than they ever had been before, not just in distance, but emotionally.

“besides,” he said as they started to pull away, “_i’m_ the one who doesn’t deserve you.” he looked down at the floor, dwelling on the past. 

“hey, look at me.” michael tipped jeremy’s chin back up so that their eyes met again. “we’re past that. you  _know_ we are. would i be going to  _prom _ with you if we weren’t?”

jeremy smiled in response. “as always, you’re right.” he hopped up from the cold bathroom floor and held a hand out for michael. “now, i believe we have said prom soon? that is, if you still want to go?” still holding his hand out, jeremy held all of his hopes and dreams in his eyes. how could michael resist?

grabbing his hand, michael said, “of  _course _ i still want to go. there’s nobody i’d rather go with than you, jere.” 

just then, the boys heard a voice coming from upstairs. “michael! jeremy! are you boys almost ready?” it was catrina, checking on them. 

“shit!” michael seemed to realize how far he was from being ready and began to panic. “uh, yeah! just a few more minutes, mom!” he yelled back up to her. he turned to jeremy. “what am i supposed to do?” he shook jeremy’s shoulders.

jeremy took michael’s hands from his shoulders and brought them down, entwining their fingers. “calm down, michael. we’ve still got time. i can help you get ready—if that’s okay?”

michael nodded in response. jeremy had already seen him in one of his most vulnerable states, how much worse could this be? the boys headed back into michael’s room, where his tuxedo was laying on his bed. jeremy helped him put it on and slick back his hair. when they were done, michael felt more like himself than he ever had. michael from five years ago could only  _dream _ of a moment like this. 

looking into the mirror, jeremy and michael grinned at their reflections, and at each other. they had gone through hell to get together—years of pining and confusion and the time with the squip—and here they were now, against the odds. jeremy tangled his fingers with michael’s and looked over at him, stars in his eyes. “are you ready to go, love?”

michael’s heart palpitated what seemed a dangerous amount—michael knew the feeling all too well. he beamed at jeremy. “i think i really am.”

together, the boys went back up the stairs to face the night together—the endless string of photos by michael’s moms, the limo ride (courtesy of jake) to the school, and the dance itself. they danced like nobody was watching, and nobody bothered them. they held each other close in their newly-learned waltz (at least, for jeremy) as if they were one of the dozens of straight couples that filled the middleborough high school gym to the brim. 

that night, they danced like nothing else mattered, like the only person they could see was the other. they danced and laughed and enjoyed themselves, and it was all they hoped it would be—no,  _more_.

there was a moment when michael was talking with rich at the punch table, and jeremy saw michael throw his head back in a great laugh (one that he could hear from their table), and he thought to himself that he had never seen michael so happy, so raw, so truly himself. michael had changed so much over the years, and yet, he was the exact same person that he was when jeremy first met him twelve years ago. he hoped that michael would never change. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! i’m going to try to finish more of my lowkey abandoned oneshots (and my favorite person). i don’t really have any inspo for glitch in the framework, so unfortunately, there probably won’t be any of that for a while. :/ but i’ve got nothing to do so hopefully i’ll be more motivated to write.
> 
> follow me on my socials!  
instagram: serenesalazar  
twitter: BUGRICHTER

**Author's Note:**

> i didn’t mean for the first chapter of the book to be an angsty one but i’m really happy with how this turned out and i really wanted to post it so hopefully there are no hard feelings. :) next one will probably be boyf riends


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